The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1887-09-03
Baltimore and Her Critics.

From the Baltimore Sun.
A great deal is being said by the Republi
can press of New York, Philadelphia and
other cities of the alleged dreadful condition Of
affairs in Baltimore, the cue having been given
by supposed Democrat, who has since gone
over to the Republican party. But on com
parison of facts these cities, on their owr
showing, are worse off than Baltimore
They are worse governed. Their municipal
administrations are more corrupt and less
efficient Their tax rate is higher, as is also
their death rate, while their standard of off
cial morality, as applied to their own affairs
is lower. Baltimore's social condition may
excite their envy. Its working people, as q
rule, get fair wages, occupy decent houses
with low rents, buy food at prices that com
pare favoraby with those of other cities
have large public libraries and good school:
at their service, are in easy reach of numer
GUS beautiful parks and open squares, where
fresh air is to be had, and in consequence are
contented, little given to strikes and never
given to mob violence. Such outbreaks o.
socialistic fury as New York, Chicago and
San Francisco from time to time exhibit are
unknown here, and the dynamiter who ha:
his friends in those cities has no one to coun
tenance him among our people. Passing
from the classes whose misdeeds gauge the
competency and honesty of the local admin
istration to the municipal officials and the
fnanciers, capitalists and contractors who
come into relations with the city government
we cannot but be struck with the fact thai
Baltimore is free from the great scandals Of
corruption and thieying that disgrace the an.
nails of New York, Philadelphia, Boston and
Chicago. We produce no Tweed, or Jacot
Sharp, or Cloughry. The boodler is rare
bird among us, and lean one when found.
Our MAYORS have clean hands, unlike those o
Philadelphia in recent times. Our city
finances are we'll managed, us the price o
Baltimore securities testi6es. The heads Of
the various departments of our city govern
men are not from time to time defaulters TO-
large amounts and fleeing the country. w;
have no gas-trust wickedness, nor any of thu
ubiquitous implements by which a politica
party preys on the citizens. Our public
| buildings are constructed within the appropri
atoms made for them, and we nowhere havt
| that omen fragrant defiAnce of morality ant
public right of which Squire, in New York
| furnished an example. In a word, our poll
tics, while not on as high plane as we coult
wish, is still on so high plane of respect 70
cardinal principles that we are free from grea
rascals who flourish at the oity's expense.
our elections were ever so dishonesty conduct
| ed, this is practical result whose value canno
be denied. We have no analogue of the no
torious dynasty of bosses in New York, o
McManes, of Philadelphia, Mclaughlin, o
Brooklyn, or Carter Harrison, of Chicago
We have our rascals in politics, but they Or,
kept small, and their profits at the public ex
pense are of trifiing amount compared witt
the plunderings Of the ruling spirits of til,
cities whose journals undertake to rebuk'
Baltimore in so vicious a manner. In fact
our city treasury has nothing to fear so mucl
as those pretended purists among us who ar,
VIGOROUSLY associated with schemes of cor
porate greed, and whose sole occupation fol
months past has been to backen the goo(
name of Baltimore. Our method for selecting
candidates for Office, as well as our methods
ofvoting for them, are vastly better than thos'
that prevail whero orr outside critics reside
We have no Tammany Hall, pcr any sqcf
associations as Mr.. Johnny 0'Bren leads, t.
name the men for whom the party must vote
but primary election does that worS. In
word, our critics, by their asserting to o
permitting enormous political, social ant
other evils at home, are disqualified for th'
delicate task of correcting the comparatiyel,
| trifing evils prevalent here.